Reading 1
Heb 7:1-3, 15-17
Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,
met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings
and blessed him.
And Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything.
His name first means righteous king,
and he was also “king of Salem,” that is, king of peace.
Without father, mother, or ancestry,
without beginning of days or end of life,
thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up
after the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become so,
not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent
but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
For it is testified:
You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4
Responsorial PsalmR. (4b)
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Gospel
Mk 3:1-6
Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
Meditation: Mark 3:1-6
“They watched him closely.” (Mark 3:2)
Where is the love? This kind of question comes to mind when we read of the Pharisees’ stringent interpretation of the Mosaic Law. They had taken up the role of guardians and interpreters of the Law, and most were sincere in their devotion. But their error, especially when compared to Jesus, lay in the way some of them emphasized the letter of the Law over the spirit of the Law. In fact, just to entrap him, some were accusing Jesus of breaking God’s law by healing a man on the Sabbath. This led to the almost ridiculous question that Jesus was forced to ask them: “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?” (Mark 3:4).
The Pharisees were claiming that Jesus, who had been moved by the man’s condition to heal him, was guilty of rendering medical treatment, which was prohibited on the Sabbath. Instead of using their common sense, their attachment to their interpretation of God’s word led them to an absurd position. Of course it’s right to do good on the Sabbath! Of course it’s right to heal someone on a day of rest. In fact, wouldn’t the Sabbath be one of the best days for healing someone and helping him enter into the “rest” of the Lord?
Like the Pharisees, Jesus loved the Law and lived to uphold it. Yet he knew that keeping the Law required love as the key, not extensive elaboration on the rules. By inviting this man to “come up” (Mark 3:3), or rise up before the crowd, Jesus foreshadowed his own rising up on Easter—a resurrection that he would share with all of us.
In a sense, each of us is that man in the synagogue, invited to “come up” and enter into Jesus’ rest. In prayer today, picture Jesus standing before you, inviting you to come up to be with him. Are any burdens weighing you down? Have you maybe replaced the law of love with strict, burdening legalism? Let it go, and run to Jesus. He has more than enough grace to help you follow him with a joyful, peaceful heart!
“Holy Spirit, without your guidance I cannot hope to please the Father. Teach me how to think and act according to God’s law of love and mercy.”
No comments:
Post a Comment